Various forms of merchandising machines are known in the prior art. For example, there are known machines of the type in which a helix receiving articles between adjacent turns thereof is driven to advance the leading article over the edge of a shelf or the like to permit it to fall to a delivery area. Machines of this type may be provided with a multiplicity of such helices together with selectively operable means for driving the helices to deliver different articles. These machines are especially adapted to dispense light articles such as bagged snacks.
Machines of the prior art of the type described above incorporate a number of disadvantages. First, the movement of light articles from the storage shelf to the delivery area is not controlled so that an article is likely to become wedged between the cabinet door window and part of the operating mechanism or a lower shelf. Secondly, machines of the type described above are difficult to load. Owing to the complexity of the helix itself, cleaning of the machines is difficult. The selective drive mechanism of machines incorporating a plurality of helices is so complicated as to make maintenance and repair difficult. Moreover, this complexity adds to the cost of the machine.
We have invented a versatile merchandising machine which overcomes the disadvantages of machines of the prior art pointed out hereinabove. Our machine is certain in operation. It minimizes the possibility of failure of a dispensed article to reach the delivery area. Our machine is easy to load. The merchandise holding parts of our machine are readily disassembled for cleaning and readily reassembled. Our selective drive mechanism is relatively simple as compared with arrangements of the prior art.